Guma Aguiar
Photo courtesy of The Lillian Jean Kaplan Foundation
'Whoever is hungry let him come and eat'
Tens of thousand of Jews worldwide need a place to celebrate Pesach. Thanks to the generous donations of Guma Aguiar, each and every Jew who wishes, has a place to celebrate the story of freedom
On Pesach Eve the Haggadah calls to "Open your doors and let all those who are hungry come inside and eat." This Pesach,
it is Guma Aguiar, an American Jew living in Jerusalem who has answered.
Aguiar and his wife have generously donated $500,000 to Chabad organizations around the world so that tens of thousands of young people, backpackers, poor people, and Jews living in isolated communities will have a place to celebrate the story of freedom and eat a meal in the spirit of Pesach.
Seders will be held worldwide in places including Cambodia, Peru, Vietnam, Equitorial Guinea, and Nepal. There will also be a special seder in Mumbai, the site of a terror attack in November 2008 which killed 2 Chabad emissaries in the city.
Pesach Eve at Chabad House in Bangkok, Thailand
According to Aguiar, "Chabad is the only organization with the infrastructure to reach so many far-flung people. Chabad-run Seders are non-denominational and Chabad is known for being inclusive and welcoming to all kinds of Jews with every conceivable point of view or level of understanding within the practice of Judaism. This openness will strongly be reflected by the Aguiar-sponsored Sederim."
Time to give
Besides the gift to Chabad and various other Jewish charities, Aguiar also donated $8 million to Nefesh B’Nefesh, an organization that assists in helping thousands of people who wish to make Aliyah to Israel. "A renewed interest in making Aliyah is one of the most important ways there is of strengthening Israeli society, economy, and identity," he explained to Ynet.
Since being named one of the top executives in the world by Oil and Gas Magazine, Aguiar has continuously given to Jewish charities, though before this year he gave anonymously. This year he has decided to speak out in an effort to remind people that even in tough financial times we cannot afford to let Jewish charities fail.
"The time has come to make these gifts public as a way of encouraging so many other caring Jews to step up to the plate during these incredibly challenging economic times," Aguiar added.
Between the economic recession and the massive ponzi scheme perpetrated by Bernard Madoff, Jewish charities have been hit especially hard this year, with major non-profits closing their doors and tens of millions of dollars lost.
